Since 2020, the Southwest Conference (SWC) has provided parish clergy access to professional coaching. Now the SWC is making coaching available to local church leaders, chaplains, committees, teams, and congregation members in the Conference! We have a coach on staff to make that possible.
Last month, Rev. Dr. Bill Lyons, our Conference Minister, completed 64 classroom hours of training for certification as an International Coaching Federation (ICF) Level 1 coach. The Executive Board adjusted Bill’s job description to include “coaching whenever possible, with laypeople and authorized ministers as we build up and work to sustain the covenant relationship among our ministers, churches and various settings of community ministry.” Bill will be logging hours spent coaching in his ministry among us as he completes the ICF credentialling process. Sometimes Bill will be coaching informally, using coaching techniques during meetings and individual conversations. Because coaching is one of his job responsibilities, Bill is also offering formal coaching sessions to members and groups within the SWC free of charge.
So, what is coaching? Everyone faces challenges, has goals they want to achieve, or sometimes feels stuck. The same is true for teams. Coaching is for those moments. Professional coaches offer the gift of deep listening that focuses on a client’s inner wisdom for finding options and a best path forward. Unlike consulting, the expert is you. It’s different from therapy or counseling because coaches focus on maximizing the current moment, not on healing the past. Mentors teach people with an eye to their futures; coaches help people learn and build skills for their present. Coaching can include spiritual practices without focusing on cultivating a life more attuned to spirituality and God, like spiritual direction does. Coaches believe that individuals have the answers within themselves. Coaching is part professional development, part selfcare, and part skill building. “Client by client, ICF coaches help improve lives, relationships, and business performance. They make a real and measurable difference in people’s lives.”[1]
What can you expect in a coaching conversation? Clients determine how to use the time with their coach. Sessions usually last an hour (or less). The conversation often begins, “What would you like to work on today?” Through deep listening and powerful questions, a coach helps a client connect to their inner wisdom for finding the best next step. Along the way a coach checks in to be sure the client is receiving what they hoped for in the session. And a session concludes with a client naming what they are taking away from their coaching time.
Ready to give coaching a try? When you book a no-obligation appointment with Bill, you will receive a welcome packet by email and a link for your online appointment. Decide after your initial session if and how you want to continue coaching. If coaching together is good fit for you both, you can arrange future sessions. If coaching feels right and you’d like to try a different coach, he will connect you with other coaches in the ICF network.[2] To book a coaching session visit Bill’s coaching appointment schedule online.
Welcome to the possibility of engaging a thought-provoking and creative process with a possibility to inspire you to maximize your personal and professional potential and unlock previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity, and leadership!
[1] https://coachingfederation.org/
[2] Fees charged by other ICF coaches are not covered by the Southwest Conference unless clergy have been pre-approved to participate in the COCAM B Coaching Initiative. Contact the SWC office for details about the program.